Zero to Hero
by Marka Ragnos629
Summary: Ben Tennyson was kicked out at twelve years old due to financial issues. Now, six years later, he's entered Duel Academy to make a name for himself as a Pro Duelist. But when the ghosts of his past want him back, will he even accept them? Please enjoy, and leave a long review.
1. Chapter 1

_**My latest idea of a Yu-Gi-Oh GX crossover featuring Ben 10. More specifically, No Watch Ben. I figured that this would be a good idea, because, I think he deserves a little adventure after having to live the life he's lead. Always being outshined by his cousin, Gwen, who no doubt made it into college early like her Gwen Prime counterpart. I hope you guys enjoy this story, and please don't forget to leave some LONG reviews. Just tell me what you think of the story idea, what you feel needs improvement, and any cards you'd like to see me include in this story. And please, feel free to point out any grammatical errors you might spot as you read, and let me know about them so I can go back and fix them. Now, let's get started, shall we?**_

 _ ***I don't own Ben 10, Ben 10 AF/UA, or Ben 10 Omniverse! I also don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh GX!, Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds, Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal, or Yu-Gi-Oh ARC-V!***_

* * *

 _ ***Dialogue Key***_

* * *

"I summon a monster in attack mode!" = Regular Dialogue

' _I summon a monster in defense mode!' = Thoughts_

 _(Elemental HERO Phoenix Enforcer [Monster| Fusion\ Effect] Warrior/FIRE [Level 6]_ _ **ATK: 2100/**_ _DEF: 1200) = Card Stats_

" **I activate my trap card!" = Someone Yelling**

* * *

 _ **Prologue**_

* * *

Sitting in the living room of the home of her cousin, Gwendolyn 'Gwen' Tennyson simply sat on the couch nursing a cup of lukewarm tea that her aunt Sandra had prepared. The female cousin of our story's protagonist had just returned home for the summer in order to visit her aunt and uncle. And to try and talk to her cousin at her grandfather's request. Said something about dweeb of a cousin not being himself recently, and expressed his concern on the matter.

And while Gwen doesn't necessarily like her cousin, she admitted that perhaps a good argument with her might get him back to his old self again. Unfortunately for her, upon arriving and asking to see Ben, Gwen's aunt and uncle guiltily admitted that they'd been having financial troubles when Ben was twelve. So, to cut down on expenses, they had all but kicked him out.

Now Gwen was feeling guilty since she had never even noticed her cousin's suffering. Never realized that he had been living on the streets for so long. If she had just called home during her time at college, maybe she would have managed to hear about this sooner and actually try to do something for him. Something to help ease his pain and help him through his dark times, like he at one point in their lives tried to do for her.

Gwen sighed as she sank deeper into the couch, her tea long forgotten.

Her aunt Sandra and uncle Carl had admitted that once their financial worries were over, they tried to get Ben back into their lives. They first checked the local orphanage, thinking that that would be the first place he'd go for shelter. But Gwen knows better. She knows that the people at that orphanage don't at all care for the children put there. That's why there's so many children on the streets, who would sooner fight anyone who tried to bring them to that place rather than take their chances with the matron and her employees.

So, naturally, Carl and Sandra didn't find him there. So they started checking other places that he might be at. The park, various alleys, that old fast food joint Mister Smoothie, but he wasn't anywhere to be found. Gwen's grandfather said that when he last spoke to Ben, they didn't leave off on the best of terms. If anything, the rift between the two had been increased.

"Where could he be…?" Gwen silently asked herself.

"I don't know, Gwen. But Sandra and I just sent word to the police station about Ben being missing. If anyone can find him, it's them." Carl informed. "I just wish we had a more updated picture of him to give them for reference."

Sandra and Carl had given the police a photograph from when their son had been eleven years old, before they had… kicked him out, hoping that the police could use it as a reference to find Ben. If he's still alive, he's sure to look similar to what he looked like back then.

Sandra was sitting on an old recliner, sobbing uncontrollably as she held an old book titled 'Ben's Baby Pictures'. She had been devastated when she realized what she did six years ago, knowing that her son must hate her for what she did to him. And you know what? She understands that she deserves it.

"Come on, guys, think! There's got to be somewhere that Ben would go if he doesn't want to be found!" exclaimed Gwen. "Was there anything at all that he seemed to take an interest in when he was younger?"

Carl thought hard to those days, but it was so hard for him to remember anything. He'd been so focused on the financial difficulties that had been cropping up at the time that he didn't take notice of anything Ben may have taken an interest in. They wouldn't have had the money for it anyway.

But that's when they heard Sandra speak up, as she remembered something that provided a clue as to what might be her son's whereabouts.

"Duel Monsters…"

Gwen and Carl looked at the distraught woman, seeing that she'd been able to finally get her tears under control, even though her face was stained with various tear lines.

"Before his eleventh birthday, Ben told me that he wanted to learn how to play Duel Monsters. He began doing a few odd jobs around town, things like mowing lawns and walking dogs, so he could save up for the cards he wanted. Eventually, he saved up enough to the point where he was able to buy several card packs as well as a Duel Disk so he could do those solid vision duels, and built a deck using a few of those strange Elemental Hero cards. If I were a gambling woman, I'd bet my life savings that if he's anywhere, it's somewhere that teaches people how to become a Pro Duelist. A place where he could make a career out of dueling." Sandra explained.

Gwen furrowed her brows at that explanation. That would leave the Duel Academies as the only other places left in the world to look for Ben. But there are five different Duel Academies that he could possibly be, and even then, there's no guarantee that he got accepted.

"It's not much of a lead, but at least it's a start." Carl commented.

Gwen got up from the sofa and began to make her way towards the door, grabbing her backpack as she did.

"I'll do some research on the different Duel Academies and see which ones are accepting new students. I may be able to pinpoint Ben's location by eliminating any possible false leads." Gwen said.

As she made her way out the door, Gwen could only think of one thing.

' _Ben, you big doofus, if you're still alive out there… I just hope there's still time to set things right.'_

* * *

 _ ***To Be Continued…***_

* * *

 _ **Now that this chapter is over, I'm going to spend some time working on an Elemental HERO deck for Ben. One that will feature Phoenix Enforcer instead of Flame Wingman, because I've always like Phoenix Enforcer more than Flame Wingman. So, for now, I'm going to be playing around with these cards and seeing what works. By the time the Shadow Riders make their appearance, I hope to have Ben's deck be about sixty cards. (The legal tournament limit.)**_

 _ **Thank you all so much for reading. Please, don't forget to leave a LONG review for the story. May the Force be with you, and have a great day.**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Alright, I'm still experimenting with the final results of the deck to see what I need to edit, but I assure you all that the deck will be finished by next chapter. I'm going for a forty four card deck for now. Then I'll work on incorporating more. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Although, I'm starting to rethink whether I should stick with Elemental Heroes or use a different type of deck in this story. Please, let me know what you guys think in the reviews. Should I stick with E-Heroes, or use a different deck type? (I'm leaning more towards either Light and Darkness Dragon, the Crystal Beasts, or Stardust Dragon.)**_

 _ ***I still don't own Ben 10 or Yu-gi-Oh GX!***_

* * *

 _ ***Dialogue Key***_

* * *

"I summon a monster in attack mode!" = Regular Dialogue

 _'I summon a monster in defense mode!' = Thoughts_

 _(Elemental HERO Phoenix Enforcer [Monster| Fusion\ Effect] Warrior/FIRE [Level 6]_ _ **ATK: 2100/**_ _DEF: 1200) = Card Stats_

 **"I activate my trap card!" = Someone Yelling**

* * *

 _ **A Hero Starts As A Zero!**_

* * *

Domino City is quite the fair distance away from the likes of Bellwood. So, you'd never expect anyone to try and make the trip there on foot, right? Wrong! One Ben Tennyson, a boy with messy brown hair and green eyes who is currently wearing clothes that show he lives on the streets was walking at a sedated pace as he tried to make it to the Kaiba Dome. That's where he'll take the entrance exam necessary to get into Duel Academy and be one step closer to achieving his dream.

That's why he's trying to get there as early as possible.

"Okay, it seems like I still have another two hours before I'm possibly late. I better keep moving." Ben mumbled to himself.

But as he was walking along, he didn't pay attention to his surroundings and ended up bumping into someone, thus spilling all of his cards. Ben groaned at his own bad luck and apologized to the stranger before kneeling down to pick up his cards. The mysterious person knelt down and also picked up one of his cards. An Elemental HERO.

"You're a duelist?" he asked, the question sounding more like a statement.

"Uh, yes sir. Or, I hope to be one, at least." Ben replied, finally looking up at the man.

He didn't recognize him right away, but he knows that this man is quite familiar. Someone who is important to the history of Duel Monsters.

The man didn't say anything. He just handed Ben his card back before reaching into one of the deck cases clipped to his belt and pulling out a card. Looking at it briefly, the man smiled as he could literally feel the connection that this lad possesses with the spirit in this card.

"I'd like you to have this. Something tells me that it belongs with you."

Although reluctant to accept, Ben took the card from the man with the utmost care, treating it as if it were a fragile piece of glass. He looked at the card and saw that the card was a part of the Kuriboh Archetype. This one depicted a Kuriboh with a pair of little angel wings.

" _Kuri kuri!"_

Ben gasped and looked around as he thought he heard a voice calling out to him. But there was nothing there. Just him, this card, and that man… where'd he go?

"Uh? Hey…"

When Ben looked back to try and thank the man, he was gone. As if he'd just vanished into thin air. But as he looked around still, Ben's memory finally caught up to his as he realized just who it was he had run into. And who had just given him this card.

"Could that have been… Yugi Moto?"

Looking up at the big clock, Ben saw that he had wasted fifteen minutes of the time he needed to get to the Kaiba Dome. Resolving to figure out his previous encounter later, Ben decided to get to his intended destination while the gettin' was good. This time, going at an easy jog.

It took about another hour to get there, but Ben managed to make it on time to register for his test. First he had to take the written exam, which took about fifteen minutes to complete, and another five minutes to grade. Due to living on the street for six years, Ben didn't have much formal schooling. Everything he does know is all self-taught. Especially survival. Thanks to this, he didn't get the best score, landing him in the middle with a seventy eight percent. A score which would likely land him in Ra Yellow, should he pass the dueling portion of the exam.

Soon after his written test, Ben came across a whole arena filled with viewers who were no doubt new students who have just been accepted. He took a seat next to a short boy with light blue hair and glasses and examined the duel that was going on.

The person being tested is a boy that had black hair with a grey streak in it who had 4000 life points and a Vorse Raider while his opponent had 1900 life points and three monsters each with variable attack and defense points.

"Okay, freshman. Pop quiz time. You have three monsters staring you down and two facedowns. Which of the following do you do? Do you do A) Throw in the towel? B) Attack hoping that I don't activate my facedowns? Or C) Run home to momma?" the tester asked with in a snide tone.

"I chose D) none of the above!" The boy shouted. "Go face down trap! Ring of Destruction!"

As the ring appeared it wrapped itself around the Vorse Raider and detonated all of the frag grenades attached to it, blowing up the Vorse Raider in the process. The tester brought his arm up to shield from the debris as his life points plummeted to zero. The black haired boy smiled as his disk deactivated.

"Congratulations, you have been accepted into Duel Academy." The tester said.

"Thank you." Black hair said.

Up in the stands, three boys were watching the duel and had varying reactions to it. Some were good, but there were some that were just rude and condescending.

"That guy is pretty good, huh Chazz?" a boy with wavy blue hair and glasses asked.

"He's a punk." The person in the middle called Chazz scoffed. "We went to Duel Prep School for the past three years. We're ready for the Academy. These kids don't know what they're getting into. But they'll learn… the hard way. The Chazz Princeton way."

As Ben looked at the guy, his eyes narrowed as he was reminded of Gwen when they were younger and her smug, know-it-all attitude. It's one thing to have knowledge, but it's another thing to torment someone just because you're smarter than they are!

As if sensing Ben's mental battle and seeing the direction of his gaze, the blue haired boy spoke up.

"That's Chazz, someone who went through Dueling Prep School. He's really good. Possibly the best in the school." He informed in a somewhat timid tone of voice.

"Is that right? Well, even a low level can easily surpass an elite with enough hard work and dedication. By the way, my name's Ben. No surname." Ben said in response.

He had since given up on the name 'Tennyson' when his parents kicked him out. And yet some small part of him, the part that remains a young boy, wanted to hold on to some semblance of his old life. That's why he hasn't outright changed his name yet.

"Syrus Truesdale ." the bluenette replied with a nervous bow.

Right below them, in the VIP seats for Academy faculty members, several members of the school faculty were conversing about the matches they've had thus far.

"Looks like we've got a pretty good crop this year." One of them said.

"Yes, indeed." Another teacher agreed.

Right next to them, another teacher sat there silently not paying attention to the other teachers' talk. He's male, but could easily be mistaken as a woman if you didn't know who he was. He wore a blue blazer similar to Chazz but had some gold shoulder plates and trimmings along with a ruffled pink collar. He also had his blonde hair in a ponytail and wore makeup. This was Dr. Vellian Crowler, headmaster of the Obelisk Blue Boys Dorm.

 _'Another rookie for the Academy.'_ He thought dismissively. _'I'm just glad that this was the last duel, otherwise there could be more slackers coming in, too.'_

He was about to get up and leave when…

"I'm sorry to interrupt." A man in a black, business suit appeared stopping Crowler from leaving. "But one last applicant has arrived to take his exam, Mr. Crowler."

"Excuse me? Did you just call me, 'mister'?" Crowler scowled.

"I'm sorry. I'm new here Miss…"

"I have a Phd. in dueling to earn the title 'Doctor' thank you!" Crowler snapped a bit. He then looked away. "Now tell the truant that he'll have to come back next year."

The other teachers looked at him like he lost his mind. Oh wait, I think he already has.

"Come on, Dr. Crowler, we have time for one more."

"Yes, let's give this duelist his shot."

"He was just a bit late, that's all."

 **"LATE IS RUDE!"** Crowler finally snapped. He slammed his hands down, freaking out the other people around him. **"I HAVE NO TIME FOR SLACKERS!"**

Just then his cell phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and answered it.

 **"WHAT!?"** Crowler yelled into the phone.

 _"It's Sheppard."_

"Oh, Chancellor Sheppard, how nice of you to call." Crowler said, suddenly changing his angry tone to a pleasant one.

 _"Just calling to make sure everything is running smoothly."_ Chancellor Sheppard said. _"We wouldn't want a repeat of what happened last year."_

That made Crowler bug out a bit as he was reminded of his little flop-up from the last time he was put in charge of the application duels.

 _"When you cut a third of our student applicants because someone called you 'Mr.' or 'Mrs.'? Never mind, just make sure everyone gets a fair shot!"_

"Yes, o... of course, sir." Crowler said as he hung up scowling.

 _'Furry–chinned windbag; doesn't he realize that there are enough talentless flunkies at this Academy? But he's the boss, and if he wants to give this scrim shaker a duel… fine.'_ Crowler thought irritably.

He then got up from his seat and took a moment to straighten out his jacket.

"Pardon me, gentlemen, I'll be right back." He said then starting walking away.

"But sir, who will be the boy's dueling proctor? And which exam deck should we use?"

Crowler just huffed and walked away.

"Leave that to me." he replied.

He pulled out a deck from inside his blazer, grinning evilly.

Back with Ben and Syrus, the black haired boy from earlier walked towards them.

"Hey there, you did great in your duel! You might even be the second best in the whole school!" Ben called, praising the boy.

"Thank you. I am Bastion Misawa." the black haired boy nodded

"Syrus Truesdale ."

"And I'm..."

 _ **"Ben, please report to Dueling Field # 4."**_ The PA announced again. _**"Ben, to Dueling Field # 4."**_

"That's me! Looks like it's go time!" Ben said as he got ready to go. "Wish me luck, guys."

"Wait! Before you go, what did you mean by me being the second best duelist at the school? Who's the first?" Bastion asked.

Ben stopped and looked back at them.

"I don't know who that is right now, but I hope to get admitted to this school and learn all I can so that one day I can ascend through the ranks to become one of the best duelists in the pro circuit!" Ben replied.

He then continued his stride down to the exam floor.

"He seems interesting." Bastion nodded as the brown haired boy ran to the field.

On the field, Dr. Crowler was being prepped and ready to Duel. The duel disk he was equipped with looked as though it was crafted into his blazer. The part that held his graveyard and deck slots was strapped to his chest, while the duel tray looked as though it was being held up like a guitar. In fact, the duel tray itself looked almost like a rock guitar.

Ben watched in awe as he was lifted up to the arena by a hidden lift, amazed by the advancements in technology being made every day. And that was when Crowler spoke up.

"Alright, test time!" he announced. "So, son, your name?"

Ben snapped at attention before speaking in a manner similar to most military personnel.

"DUEL ACADEMY APPLICANT BENJAMIN, REPORTING FOR DUELING EXAM, SIR!"

"Well then, at ease, Benjamin. I'm Doctor Vellian Crowler, Department Chair of Techniques here at Duel Academy."

"Wow, a Department Chair! I had no idea!" gasped Ben. "From the way you're dressed, I was thinking you were some kind of weird academy mascot. Like a majorette or a jester."

Crowler grumbled a little at the subtle yet unintentional insult from this young upstart, but didn't really hold it against him. Even Crowler had to admit, he looks pretty ridiculous with all this makeup on at first glance. But hey, he feels the look works for him. And up in the stands, a few students were voicing their thoughts.

"Hey, you know, now that he mentions it…" the boy with glasses mumbled.

"This guy's got some lip, huh Chazz?" the brown haired boy asked.

Chazz didn't say anything. He just growled as he glared at Ben for his insulting words against Doctor Crowler. His thoughts were something along the lines of…

' _That foolish commoner! Has he no respect for his superiors in the Obelisk Blue!?'_

Back in the arena, Crowler was ready to duel as he pressed a maroon red triangular button on the deck slot of his Duel Blade.

"Duel Vest on!" exclaimed Crowler.

Ben watched in amazement as the machine ejected the top five cards of Crowler's deck into the man's hand. But even more amazing to him was the Duel Blazer that Crowler wore underneath the machine. Living on the streets in a cardboard box doesn't really give one the luxury of fancy clothes.

"That's some sweet gear there, teach. How do I get one of those snazzy blue Duel Blazers?" he asked.

"Oh, a lot of hard work and extremely high marks." Crowler replied as he mentally added ' _Of course, you first have to get IN to Duel Academy. And I intend to make certain that won't be happening.'_

Ben activated his Duel Disk after shuffling and inserting his deck into the machine, and both players got themselves ready to duel.

"I'm ready." he said.

The air around the two duelists seemed to blow harder as their Battle Ki was let loose. Almost like two warriors of ancient times ready to fight to the bitter end.

" **So, let's duel!"** they exclaimed simultaneously.

 _ **(Ben's Life Points: 4000)**_

 _ **(Crowler's Life Points: 4000)**_

High up in the stadium where two Obelisk Blue's, one male and one female. The male was in the white variant of the male uniform while the girl was in the normal female uniform, a white and blue blazer, blue mini-skirt and blue high-heels. She was also wearing light blue Dueling gloves. The guy had dark blue hair and grey eyes while the girl had long blonde hair and blue eyes

"Man, this kid must be really good or he must have done something to really piss off Crowler for him to Duel him, huh Zane?" the girl asked. "And he must have balls of chrome steel to insult him like that!

"Maybe Alexis, I'm just hoping that the kid might be able to keep up and possibly be a worthy opponent." the dark blue haired man replied with his neutral face.

Alexis didn't say anything in response. She just focused her vision on Ben and narrowed her eyes a little in curiosity.

"Why does he seem so… familiar…?" she pondered aloud.

Zan heard her, of course. But he chose to ignore it. It's not his business to pry into Alexis's social life. And certainly not where her own foggy memories are concerned. So, he just turned his attention to the duel.

"I guess first turn honors are mine." Ben said as he drew a card.

He looked at it and saw that he drew one of his Elemental Hero cards. Looking to his hand, he saw that he has the cards Monster Reborn, Polymerization, Hero Signal, Draining Shield, and The Warrior Returning Alive. He grinned. It's not his best hand, but it'll do.

"Alright, I begin by summoning Elemental HERO Avian in defense mode!" exclaimed Ben.

His field hummed to life as a warrior took a defensive stance on Ben's side of the field. This warrior is a man wearing a full body suit and mask/helmet that seemed to be made out of green feathers, along with a pair of shoes that look more like the talons of a raptor. He has a set of talons on his right arm just above his hand, and a pair of white bird wings on his back.

 _(Elemental HERO Avian [Monster|Normal] Warrior/WIND [Level 3] ATK: 1000/_ _ **DEF: 1000)**_

Crowler made a dismissive sound, but was slightly impressed. The boy was playing it safe and starting out by setting up a defense. A smart move on his part. But would it be smart enough? I guess we're about to find out.

"I'll also place this card face down." said Ben as he put a card in his Spell/Trap Zone.

A hologram of a face down card appeared on Ben's field behind Avian, setting up the stage for the duel to really begin.

"Alright. That ends my turn. So, get your game on!" exclaimed Ben.

"Yes, very good. Don't tell me what to do." Crowler replied, growling that last part softly.

He brought his hand up to his Duel Blade and the device ejected the top card from his deck into his awaiting hand. Crowler took a moment to examine the card before adding it to his hand, thinking all about how he was going to send this - quote unquote 'slacker' - running back home to his mommy. Oh, if only he knew the sad, harsh truth. Not that Ben would want any pity from anyone.

' _After all, since I'm using my own personal deck rather than one of those test ones, I'll be calling all the shots. I'll fail that insolent little brat and send him home in no time.'_ Crowler thought to himself.

Looking at the cards in his hand, Crowler smirked as he could see that his strategy was coming along quite nicely.

"Alright! For this first move, I think I'll start out nice and easy. I choose to play the Spell Card, Confiscation." Crowler announced, showing a card depicting a cruel knight taking every cent of money from a poor peasant woman.

An image that was always disturbing to Ben whenever he saw that card, as it seemed to trigger these memories that he wasn't even sure were his. It's like they're there, but they're not there at the same time. Still, he can't let that distract him from the duel.

"Okay, so what's it do?" he asked.

"What is does is allow me to pay one thousand Life Points for the chance to peek at your hand, and toss one of your cards into the Graveyard!" Crowler explained with a cruel smirk.

 _ **(Crowler's Life Points: 4000 - 1000 = 3000)**_

Ben watched in morbid fascination as the cards in his hand began to glow and a rainbow aura appeared in front of Crowler, as hologram images of the cards in Ben's hand began levitating in front of the makeup wearing man. Crowler hummed in thought and amusement as he looked at the cards, but didn't bother reading the effects of most of those cards.

"Oh yes, I remember some of these from when I was a naive rookie." Crowler commented while Ben growled at the man.

That attitude and tone of voice of his reminded the green eyed boy far too much of his cousin and how she would mock him for his lack of intelligence at every chance she got.

"Hmm, now which one shall I banish?" Crowler asked himself with a grin before pointing at one of Ben's cards. "Monster Reborn, to the Graveyard!"

Ben's Monster Reborn card flipped over before the hologram shattered into shards of light that dissipated as it went to the card Graveyard, making Ben groan in disappointment. He could have used that card if he needed to.

"Next, I'll lay two cards face down on the field." Crowler said as two cards appeared on his field. "And last, but not least, I'll play Heavy Storm! This spell card destroys every other spell and trap card that's out on the field!"

As the obviously corrupt teacher said that, a heavy wind began to blow throughout the duel field, forcing Ben to brace himself and not get blown away. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for his trap, which turned out to be his Draining Shield. The card was destroyed, but so were the two traps that Crowler had set up.

Ben began to grin as he felt a small victory come from that little blunder on the teacher's part. Or was it even a blunder? He grimaced as he figured out that this destruction of his own traps was all a part of Crowler's grand strategy.

"Oh great, let me guess. Those two traps you destroyed: you destroyed them on purpose, because they would give you monsters that you need for a sacrifice." stated Ben.

Crowler grinned as a dark and sinister fog began rolling in. He was actually impressed. That move usually makes his opponents think that he made a mistake, but this boy seems to be smart enough to tell when a move was intentional or not. That, or he has sharp instincts as a duelist. And the Obelisk Blue Headmaster likes that very much.

"You catch on quick, lad. I did indeed need the sacrifices, and these two Wicked Tokens will do nicely." Crowler replied.

As soon as he finished saying that, two grotesque golden snake-like creatures appeared on Crowler's field. And though they couldn't fight, they were perfect for this next part of his grand play.

But up in the stands, the students seemed a little confused as to why and how those creatures appeared on the field. At least, those who were freshmen or have never seen the card before.

"Uh, could somebody tell me what's going on?" Syrus asked.

"The two trap cards that Doctor Crowler had on the field were called Statue of the Wicked. It's a special trap that creates a vicious Token Monster when destroyed. That's why he played Heavy Storm." Bastion explained.

Syrus made a sound of understanding as he paid close attention to the duel.

"A card that strong couldn't be in one of the test decks! Crowler must be using his own!" the Obelisk Blue boy with glasses figured.

"Then this is over! No applicant could beat the deck of an expert like Doctor Crowler!" said the brown haired Obelisk student.

"Yeah, it's impossible. Don't you think, Chazz?" glasses asked.

"Yeah, what do you think, Chazz?" brown hair asked afterwards.

Chazz just smirked cruelly as he looked at what was going on. To him, there's nothing sweeter than stamping down the dreams of those he deems as inferior to him.

"I think I'm gonna enjoy watching Crowler mop the floor with that street rat down there. I only wish he'd treat all the other second-rate duelists who apply to this academy the same way." Chazz said with heavy arrogance.

But back with Alexis and Zane, the blonde Obelisk was less than impressed by Crowler's strategy.

"What an elitist snob. Bullying some amateur with his very best cards." Alexis said in disappointment.

"You're too soft, Alexis." Zane said, getting the blonde's attention. "I just hope we get to see that legendary rare monster that Crowler has had stashed away in that deck of his."

Alexis said nothing as she turned back to the duel. And back down in the field, Crowler was ready to get the duel back underway.

"Ready for your next lesson?" Crowler asked.

"Indeed I am." Ben replied with a grin. "I don't remember the last time learning was this much fun. You know, you're an excellent teacher now that I've seen you in action."

Crowler couldn't help but smile slightly at the compliment. Not many people took the time to give compliments to their instructors on their teaching abilities, or thank them for their help with tutoring. So, this was a breath of fresh air to him.

"I thank you for the compliment, young man." Crowler said before resuming his turn. " **And now, I sacrifice my two Wicked Tokens, and summon Ancient Gear Golem!"**

The two token monsters writhed about as they were engulfed in fire before fading out as Crowler used them to summon one of his deck's strongest monsters.

Rising up behind Crowler was a monster that looked like an ancient machine made to look like a gladiator. It had a single red eye and several cog gears placed in various parts of its body. Mainly its face and upper body. It wore armor that was a rusty brown and looked as strong as it is ancient.

 _(Ancient Gear Golem [Monster|Effect] Machine/EARTH [Level 8]_ _ **ATK: 3000/**_ _DEF: 3000)_

Everyone in the audience gasped in awe at the mighty beast before them and eagerly awaited the chance to see what it can do.

"There it is! The legendary rare card!" gasped Alexis.

"And I'd say we're about to find out just what makes it so legendary." Zane commented.

The Ancient Gear Golem stood slouched behind Crowler as it settled itself in attack mode, causing Ben to look at the monster in awe at its own special kind of brilliance.

"Now, now, I hope you're not too scared of my legendary Ancient Gear Golem." quipped Crowler.

But Ben just began to smile as his excitement reached new heights and adrenaline began to flood his system. The very blood in his veins was boiling at the prospect of combat against this mighty creature.

"Scared? Hardly! I'm just excited at the idea of fighting the Ancient Gear Golem! I've always wanted to fight one!" Ben exclaimed.

Everyone in the stands gasped at the show of blatant ignorance for this card's power. Or was this a foolhardy burst of courage? Either way, they're surprised.

"Either Ben's brave, or he's nuts!" exclaimed Syrus.

"He's staring down that legendary rare monster like he doesn't have a care in the world! I guess that youth and inexperience have their benefits after all, huh Alexis." Zane asked, although it sounded more like a statement.

"Come on, give it a rest, Zane. At least he's showing some backbone." Alexis said, tired of hearing so much negativity from her friend.

"There won't be much of it left to show after this!" quipped Zane.

Crowler began to laugh loudly as he too began to feel the rush of adrenaline that often comes with dueling in Duel Monsters. He always felt it the most when he was fighting with his Ancient Gear Golem on the field.

" **Golem, attack! Mechanized Melee!"**

The Ancient Gear Golem's lone eye began to shine brightly as the gears within its helmet began spinning at a rapid pace to generate the necessary power for this attack. It reared back its fist and launched a mighty punch at Ben's Elemental HERO monster. Avian did his best to defend, but the difference in power levels was too great, and he ended up shattering like glass and being sent to the graveyard.

"Oh, Ben's monster didn't stand a chance! His defense points were way too low! This isn't looking good!" Syrus said in despair.

"And it's about to look a lot worse!" Bastion added, getting Syrus's attention. "When that Ancient Gear Golem attacks a monster in defense mode, the difference between its attack points and the defending monster's defense points gets dealt to the opponent as damage."

"But that would mean… Ben's Life Points are gonna take a hit!"

And he was right. The Ancient Gear Golem threw another punch. This time at Ben. The result was the green eyed boy's Life Points going down by half of what they used to be.

 _ **(Ben's Life Points: 4000 - 2000 = 2000)**_

Ben's body began to tremble as a small grin made its way to his face. But all Crowler saw was the trembling. And this made Crowler feel a bit bad. He may want to win, but he doesn't want to make the lad cry.

"Now, don't feel bad, sonny boy. Nobody wins every duel they enter. So don't cry over…"

That's when he finally heard it. Not the sound of sobbing, but the sound of joyful laughter. Ben looked up and grinned at Crowler with more life than he's ever felt in all his days.

"Boy, do I want to come to this school now! Hey, Doctor! Win or lose, know that I'll have enjoyed this duel immeasurably, and will try harder to get into this academy if I lose."

His grin and positive attitude seemed contagious, as Crowler found himself grinning in response. Any negative feelings the good doctor had towards him before simply vanished as he was having too much fun. It's been some time since he got to duel with his personal deck, and this duel is just getting started.

"Well, I certainly hope you don't lose, M'boy. It would be a shame to have to turn away a young duelist with such potential. And trust me when I say that I know true dueling potential when I see it, and yours is formidable." praised Crowler. "Alright, your move!"

"Okay, Doctor! Let's see what my deck gives me this time…"

" _Kuri kuri!"_

Ben silently gasped and looked at his deck.

' _That sound again…!'_

He drew his next card and saw that it was Winged Kuriboh, the card that he received earlier. His eyes widened as he realized that there was something extra special about this card. His mind wandered to when he got that card, and what that man… Yugi… had told him.

' _Something just tells me that it belongs with you.'_

Ben grinned as he read the card text and realized that this was a perfect way to get the monster he needed on the field.

' _Something tells me that you were right, Yugi. Alright, little fella. I'll play you next.'_

" _Kuri kuri!"_ chirped Winged Kuriboh as the image on the card winked at Ben before returning to normal.

"Alright, first I'm summoning Winged Kuriboh in defense mode!" exclaimed Ben.

He played his card, and a monster that can only be described as an adorable brown ball of fur with stubby green arms and legs, giant cute eyes, and a pair of white angel wings, appeared on his field.

 _(Winged Kuriboh [Monster|Effect] Fairy/LIGHT [Level 1] ATK: 300/_ _ **DEF: 200)**_

"And I'll place this card face down for later." Ben said, ending his turn. "Your move, good sir."

Ordinarily, Crowler would be laughing at such a move. After all, the Winged Kuriboh has only three hundred attack points and two hundred defense points.

' _That Kuriboh isn't much of a threat on its own. Hmm… I wonder what he's planning?'_ Crowler thought to himself.

He knew that there was only one way to figure it out. And that was to attack. But, he decided to at least get a little roleplay in while he still could.

"Thank you, my good man." Crowler said with an exaggerated british voice.

He drew a card from his Duel Blade and looked at it. Negate Attack. That trap could be useful later on, so he decided to save it for now.

"Alright, Benjamin, prepare to have your monster pummeled! **Ancient Gear Golem, attack his Kuriboh with Mechanized Melee!"**

Once again, the mighty machine threw a powerful punch at his enemy and struck true with his attack. Like Avian before him, Winged Kuriboh didn't stand a chance due to the severe power difference and was almost instantly destroyed. Ben's eyes grew saddened as he stared at the spot where his monster once was.

' _Forgive me, Winged Kuriboh…'_

That's when Crowler noticed something. Ben's Life Points didn't go down. But that's not possible. Surely the Ancient Gear Golem did piercing damage to his opponent's Life Points, right? Unless…

"Tell me, Benjamin, what is the effect of your Winged Kuriboh? Because if it's effect is what I think it is, then it explains why my own monster's effect isn't working." Crowler asked.

"Well, I'm glad you asked, Doctor. You see, when Winged Kuriboh is destroyed, I take zero damage. Even if that damage would have been dealt by a monster effect like your Golem's." explained Ben.

Crowler's eyes widened as he now understood what was going on. And up in the stands, others had their own reactions to this startling revelation.

"How about that? A technique the good doctor didn't see coming." Alexis commented.

"No one can be expected to know or be able to predict every technique, Alexis. Especially one as obscure as that." Zane stated.

"Yeah, well this Ben character sure did." Alexis quipped.

Back down in the arena, Ben discarded Winged Kuriboh to the card Graveyard and smiled as he knew that his friend's sacrifice wasn't going to be in vain.

"Well, Benjamin, I assume that you have yet to finish your turn?" Crowler asked.

"You assume correctly, because by attacking my Winged Kuriboh you set off a trap card! One of my favorites too; Hero Signal!" replied Ben as his face down card flipped up.

A beam of light shot from the card and into the sky, creating a circle with a red stylized 'H' in the middle. Something Crowler didn't know about. The Elemental HERO monsters were always cards he could never wrap his head around.

"And that brings out my second Elemental HERO!" Ben declared as a card was ejected from his deck. "Say hello to my good friend, Burstinatrix!"

Crowler shielded himself as a pillar of red hot flame erupted in front of Ben. The flames dissipated to reveal Burstinatrix to be a rather attractive humanoid female monster that looked completely human. She wore a skintight leather/latex body suit that was dark red in color and had on a red eye mask that looked tattooed to her skin. She also wore high heeled red boots and red armor on her shins along with armored fingerless gloves that went up to her elbows and a single red band around each of her upper arms. Her skin was ashen gray, as was her long hair that reached the small of her back, she had green eyes, and wore a golden… huh. What IS that thing on her head? Is it a helmet? Would you call it a crown? We'll call it a crown.

She gave a taunting twirl as she stood on the field ready to fight.

 _(Elemental HERO Burstinatrix [Monster|Normal] Warrior/FIRE [Level 3]_ _ **ATK: 1200/**_ _DEF: 800)_

"And now, it's my turn!"

Ben drew his next card and saw that it was one that could do him some good if used correctly.

' _Skyscraper has always come through for me in the past…'_

Looking to his hand, he saw that he also still had two cards that would be great if used in a combo. Like one involving his current Elemental HERO.

' _Good thing Crowler didn't choose to send Polymerization or The Warrior Returning Alive to the Graveyard when he played Confiscation. I think I can use these three cards in a way that will get rid of that Ancient Gear Golem. Maybe even clinch the match!'_ he thought to himself with a grin. ' _Alright. This one's for you, Winged Kuriboh!'_

He added Skyscraper to his hand before taking The Warrior Returning alive and the fire in his eyes burned even brighter than before.

"I hope you're prepared, Doctor, because first I'll bring Avian back to my hand using this spell card! The Warrior Returning Alive!" Ben played the card and Avian was ejected from his Duel disk's Graveyard slot. "And now, it's time for him to join Burstinatrix on the field in attack mode!"

This time, as Avian was brought out, he didn't try to defend himself. He stood ready to fight any enemy that stood in his way.

 _(Elemental HERO Avian [Monster|Normal] Warrior/WIND [Level 3]_ _ **ATK: 1000/**_ _DEF: 1000)_

"Well, well, well! I'm legitimately surprised that you've come up with a strategy like this!" Crowler said. "I'd been hoping to save this lesson for when we got to the Academy, but please, Benjamin, do tell the students here a little bit about fusion in Duel Monsters."

"It's elementary, my dear Crowler. For you see, I know that alone, my Elemental HEROES are no match for your Ancient Gear Golem. But by uniting them through the use of fusion, they become much, much more powerful!" Ben explained in a manner similar to Sherlock Holmes. "And now, I activate Polymerization to fuse my two heroes into one! Avian and Burstinatrix, COMBINE!"

Elemental HERO Avian and Elemental HERO Burstinatrix leapt up into the air and turned into particles as their forms merged to create an entirely new monster. This monster was obviously male, as proven by the muscular body like that of a wrestler or a martial artist. He wore a black body suit with red flame designs on it and the lower body being red. His feet were a set of talons like those of a dragon, and he has a red dragon tail growing out of the base of his spine. He seemed to take more traits from Avian than Burstinatrix, as he wears a green armored helmet that covers the upper half of his face and head, he has a pair of wings like Avian that appear sharper and are covered in a layer of green armor, and on his right arm is a green gauntlet with three wicked sharp blades for claws. Both of his hands appear human.

"Behold, the magnificence of Elemental HERO Phoenix Enforcer! I hope your Gear Golem is ready for a real clash of the titans!" announced Ben.

 _(Elemental HERO Phoenix Enforcer [Monster| Fusion\ Effect] Warrior/FIRE [Level 6]_ _ **ATK: 2100/**_ _DEF: 1200)_

The appearance of this monster caused Alexis to stagger back as she gasped in recognition.

"Alexis, are you okay?" Zan asked, worried for his friend.

There's no doubt about it. There's only ONE person that she knows who uses this monster. And that person is her best friend from her childhood.

"It's him…! He's alive!" Alexis breathed as tears began to leak from her eyes.

"Alive? What do you mean?" Zane asked.

"Just watch the rest of the duel, and I'll tell you later." Alexis said.

The crowd was going absolutely nuts at the result of Ben's move. Not only did he pull off an excellent combo, but he also managed to get an exceptionally powerful monster out onto the field. And if he keeps playing like this, chances are he'll be able to win this thing.

"A very good move, Mister Benjamin. Unfortunately, your Phoenix Enforcer will still be having a tough time against my Gear Golem in an all out assault." Crowler said.

"What's he mean?" Syrust asked from up in the stands.

"He means that Phoenix Enforcer's attack points are no match for the Ancient Gear Golem's three thousand. A shame too. Because the Phoenix Enforcer is incapable of being destroyed by battle." Bastion explained.

"You mean, no matter what monster Crowler uses, that Phoenix Enforcer can't be destroyed? Aw man, if only it were a little stronger!" Syrus said.

"Well, if your friend is as good as he appears to be, he might just find a way." Bastion commented.

"Wow, did we really look like friends?" Syrus asked bashfully.

Back down in the arena, Ben raised his Duel Disk slightly as a slot opened up to reveal a hidden panel that's obviously meant for Field Spell cards. Something Crowler took notice of.

"Am I correct in assuming that you are about to use a Field spell?" the blonde teacher asked.

"You assume correctly." Ben replied. "See, I know my Phoenix Enforcer isn't strong enough to take out your Golem on his own, but he will be with a little help from this! Go, Skyscraper!"

He played the card and everyone watched in awe as a metropolis rose up from the ground and the sky turned dark. The only available light was the calming golden glow of the moon. Which just made the appearance of Phoenix Enforcer that much more badass as he stood atop the highest spire like a boss! And with its own height, the Ancient Gear Golem looked like a Kaiju standing in the middle of Tokyo.

"Now, let's see how your Ancient Gear Golem handles this, Doc! Elemental HERO Phoenix Enforcer, attack!"

With a mighty flap of his wings, Phoenix Enforcer took to the air and began to soar towards the giant machine that is his opponent. His knife claws gleaming dangerously in the moonlight. But this caused Chazz to act like a loudmouth and put down our young protagonist from the stands. And everyone, including Crowler and Ben, heard his words and the tone of his voice.

"HA! BIG MISTAKE, YOU STUPID STREET RAT! YOUR LAME SKYSCRAPER FIELD CARD HASN'T LOWERED CROWLER'S MONSTER'S ATTACK POWER BY SO MUCH AS ONE POINT! GOES TO SHOW WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT DUELING!"

But Ben just smirked at his words.

"You know, he's right. But Skyscraper isn't meant to lower attack power." Ben said, much to everyone's confusion. "You see, if an Elemental HERO monster attacks a monster with higher attack or defense points than it's own, Skyscraper gives my monster a power boost of one thousand points during the battle phase and damage step! Pretty cool, huh?"

Crowler's eyes widened upon hearing that. He's never heard of the Skyscraper field spell up until this point, and to hear what it does to Elemental HERO monsters… he may not lose very many Life Points, but his Ancient Gear Golem will still pay the price for it!

 _(Elemental HERO Phoenix Enforcer [Monster| Fusion\ Effect] Warrior/FIRE [Level 6]_ _ **ATK: 2100 + 1000 = 3100/**_ _DEF: 1200)_

" **Now, unleash the righteous fury of your mighty flames, Phoenix Enforcer! Attack with Scorching Talon Strike!"**

Phoenix Enforcer raised his clawed gauntlet up high as he soared up into the air above the Ancient Gear Golem and hovered there for a few seconds. Then, he let gravity do its thing as he fell towards his enemy with the claws on his gauntlet burning red with intense heat. Once he was close enough, Phoenix Enforcer stabbed his now white hot claws directly into the Ancient Gear Golem, slashing all the way down from the machine's shoulder to its hip.

The result was the now exposed chest cavity and inner workings of the Ancient Gear Golem sparking with electricity from fatally damaged parts before it blew up faster than a Firestone tire!

"Just like that… my Ancient Gear Golem is gone…!" gasped Crowler.

 _ **(Crowler's Life Points: 3000 - 100 = 2900)**_

"Yeah, but it wasn't easy. He still did more damage to me than I did to you." Ben said. "He may have been destroyed, but he fought like a true gladiator until the bitter end."

Crowler just stared at the spot where his Ancient Gear Golem once stood. He was having a hard time believing it. His deck's most powerful monster was gone… just like that… and for once, he's not angry about it. In fact, he's quite satisfied. It's been far too long since he was last pushed to the edge of his abilities like this, and by someone who he can just tell has been through many struggles in life.

The head of the Obelisk Blue boy's dormitory couldn't help himself. He just closed his eyes, smiled and did something he hasn't done in so long.

"Well done, Benjamin. You've done me a great service in this duel." Crowler said.

"I have?" Ben asked, his eyebrow raised in confusion.

"Indeed. Ever since I first got my Ancient Gear Golem, I had won just about all of my duels using that one card. My only real strategy since first obtaining the card being to get it on the field as quickly as possible and overwhelm my opponent with sheer brute force. The power of my monster caused me to become arrogant. And blind. I could not conceive of defeat. And that has long since been my ultimate weakness. And so, it is with no regrets that I admit defeat and surrender to you, Benjamin." Crowler explained before announcing "Congratulations! You have won your duel and passed the entrance exam with flying colors! Welcome to the ranks of Duel Academy!"

As the holograms disappeared, the whole crowd broke out into loud applause at the accomplishment of this young man who managed to help a teacher actually see and admit to their own flaws. All except for Chazz and his flunkies.

"Why!? Why would Crowler ever concede defeat to a street rat like HIM!?" Chazz asked in anger.

But up in the stands, Alexis smiled warmly at Ben as she knew that one of the most important people in her life would be by her side for a long time now.

"Way to go, Ben… old friend." Alexis whispered.

Even the ever stoic Zane had to give a small smile at the lad's accomplishment.

"That boy's got a future here." he commented.

"Alright! Yeah, Ben!" Syrus cheered from the sidelines.

' _Nice! I could use a little competition here.'_ Bastion thought to himself with a smile.

Ben smiled as his brain finally caught up with the events taking place. He pulled out Winged Kuriboh's card and smiled at the creature on the card. He knew that he definitely couldn't have won without the little guy.

' _We did it, little buddy! We won!'_ Ben mentally said to Winged Kuriboh. ' _And starting today, consider us partners.'_

" _Kuri kuri!"_ Winged Kuriboh chirped in response with a wink.

* * *

 _ ***To Be Continued…***_

* * *

 _ **That's all she wrote for this chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, because I put a lot of work into it. Now, please remember to help me out by answering this question for me.**_

* * *

 _ **Should I stick with giving Ben and Elemental HERO deck, or should I give him a different deck? (Options include Light and Darkness Dragon, Crystal Beasts, and Stardust Dragon.)**_

* * *

 _ **Thank you all SO MUCH for reading. Don't forget to answer my question and leave a long review. May the Force be with you, and have a great day.**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Well, props to all of you reviewers out there who gave me your opinions on what deck No Watch Ben should use in this story. I didn't see this one coming. However, I'm still on the fence about what deck to use. So, I'm going to set up a poll to give No Watch Ben his deck. For now, he uses a hodgepodge deck with only six Elemental HERO monsters counting the fusions.**_

 _ **But before we officially get started with the chapter, I want to give thanks to God for giving me the words I needed to write this chapter. I know it's not nearly as long as the one before it, but it gives some important information in regards to this version of Ben Tennyson. Now, first I'd like to reply to a few reviews.**_

* * *

 _ **SetaianFlame:**_ _cool chapter, i like it hm, i actually like the E Hero deck, and it would be cool if you give him other heroes like Heat, Ocean, Terra Firma/The Earth, Inferno, etc. but in the end it will be your decision, and I will read the fanfic anyway good luck_

 _ **Thank you. And those are certainly E-HEROES that I have considered.**_

 _ **AlienTokusatsuDuelistMangaGeek:**_ _I say Stardust Dragon._

 _ **Yeah, Stardust Dragon is pretty cool. And it definitely has a great effect where you can remove Stardust Dragon from play, stop any kind of card effect, destroy that card, and then bring Stardust Dragon back to the field at the end of the turn!**_

 _ **bearfan23:**_ _I could see him with a crystal beast deck but if we are doing 5ds id prefer rose since I always loved black rose dragon_

 _ **I understand where you're coming from. Back when I started watching Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds, I used to really like the Ancient Fairy Dragon. She was such a majestic creature that I would have felt privileged to have as a part of my deck.**_

 _ **DJ**_ _**Rodriguez:**_ _Now this was cool! Ben managed to impress Crowley, though truth be told... I would like to feed him to Slifer the Sky Dragons. I haven't seen much of Yugioh GX to be honest, but the parts I have seen makes me want to throw certain arrogant Duelists into the mouth of Slifer the Sky Dragon. But all in all, this seems to be good! I wonder how Alexis knows of Ben... I can't wait to find out their history! Keep it up!_

 _ **Thank you for your kind words. I understand how you feel about Crowler, but the thing is, he's not one of this story's antagonists. Not this time, at least. That falls to his creepy little sidekick, Bonaparte. And besides that, feeding the corrupt version of Crowler to Slifer the Sky Dragon would just make Slifer sick. As for how Ben knows Alexis? You'll find out soon.**_

* * *

 _ ***I still don't own Ben 10 Omniverse or Yu-Gi-Oh GX!***_

 _ **Dialogue Key**_

"I summon a monster in attack mode!" = Regular Dialogue

 _'I summon a monster in defense mode!' = Thoughts_

 _(Elemental HERO Phoenix Enforcer [Monster| Fusion\ Effect] Warrior/FIRE [Level 6]_

 _ **ATK: 2100/**_ _DEF: 1200) = Card Stats_

 **"I activate my trap card!" = Someone Yelling**

* * *

 _ **A Promise To A Dear Friend!**_

* * *

The next day, the students were all off to Duel Academy. Originally, they were supposed to take a helicopter to the island, but there were several technical difficulties with the flying vehicle so they had to use the much slower cruise ship to transport the students and faculty. Ben was standing near the railing to the side of the ship just looking out over the waves. It's times like these that he can truly feel at peace and not have to worry about old and painful memories cropping up like a bad cluster of zits.

He was currently dressed in some new clothes that had been provided for him by an anonymous source, even though Chancellor Sheppard had given them to him. And to be honest, he found them to be so much more comfortable than the filthy old moth eaten rags he used to wear.

He now wears a burnt orange muscle shirt without sleeves, a pair of black pants with a belt holding them up, and a pair of black sneakers. He had to say, he might have preferred to have more green before his abandonment, but he felt this look worked quite well for him. And if things went like he requested of Sheppard, chances are that he's going to be in Slifer Red for his dorm placement to start off with. This would allow him to learn and improve more as he moves up in the ranks. Ben is well aware of how the Duel Academy Dorm System works. The students are always sorted into one of three groups.

The highest ranked in Duel Academy are the Obelisk Blue students. They're placed there by being the best of the best. They have the highest grades, win the most duels, and have the rarest and most powerful cards to build some of the most phenomenal decks that anyone has ever seen. However, recently, almost all of the Obelisk Blue students are composed of rich and snobby folks who bought their way into the position of Obelisk and expect things like good grades, rare cards, and wins in duels to just be handed to them on a silver platter. However, there are those who have actually earned their rank in this dorm, so not all hope for the Obelisk Blue dorm is lost.

The next class in the ranking system is the rank of Ra Yellow. Those placed in Ra Yellow are considered to be the mid-class students in the eyes of those on the island. While they have acceptable grades and cards, they aren't the best of the best. But they're also not considered the worst either. It's because of this that the Ra Yellow students are treated with a considerable amount of respect by the Obelisk Blue students. Though, that is only the minority of the Obelisks.

The last and lowest rank at the academy is the position of Slifer Red. Those placed in Red are often students who just BARELY manage to pass exams or win any duels, and they're also the ones who struggle the most at the academy. And because of the difficulty of the work among the students of Duel Academy as a whole, the majority of the students in Slifer Red often drop out because the work is too tough for them, or they lack the finances to pay for tuition. And some just plain slack off because they don't want to put any effort into their work. This has lead to the Slifer Red students gaining several harsh nicknames like "Slifer Slackers" or "Red Drop-Outs" due to these unfortunate events.

But Ben doesn't mind being a Slifer Red. Because he's going to show every last person on Duel Academy that even a low-class student can rise up above their stature if they work hard enough and believe in themselves. It's like what they said in his favorite Disney movie, Hercules.

He's gonna go from Zero to Hero!

Sighing in content, he stopped looking over the railing at the ocean waves and started walking to his assigned room on the ship. It's been a long time since he's had a decent night sleep since he always has to sleep with one eye open, and he wants to enjoy a decent nap while he can. He just wished that he could see her again. The one of the few friends he has who have stuck with him through thick and thin.

That's when he heard it...

"BEN!"

...HER voice…!

He looked up and saw that it was indeed Alexis. She may have grown up and her voice may be more mature, but he'd recognize that beautiful voice and those kind hazel eyes anywhere. He offered a sad smile as he walked closer to the beautiful blonde girl, who did the same as tears began to gather in both of their eyes.

Once they were but a few inches apart, neither of them said a word. They just stared into each other's eyes as they conveyed their feelings through their very souls before Alexis abruptly wrapped her arms around the street living boy and began sobbing into his shirt. Ben hesitated for only a second before he wrapped his arms around Alexis and returned the hug, letting the girl vent out her pent up emotions even though she was soaking his shirt with her tears.

"I… I thought you… you were…" sobbed Alexis, unable to finish that train of thought.

Ben just gently shushed her and rubbed her back in a comforting manner.

"It's okay, Lex. I'm still alive, and I'm not planning on dying anytime soon. Not until I fulfill my promise to you." Ben said.

He remembers that day quite well…

* * *

 _ ***Five Years Ago…***_

* * *

Thirteen year old Ben and Alexis were sitting at the kitchen table with a sad look on their faces. Ben was going to be leaving after spending a month with Alexis and her family, at the girls' parents' insistence, resting and learning more about how to play Duel Monsters. But now, he was going to hit the road and try to make it by entering Duel Monsters tournaments. The only problem with that plan is, he doesn't want to leave anymore.

"Ben…"

The boy looked up at Alexis, who was blushing and holding a couple of Duel Monster cards in her hands. She held the cards out to the boy, who saw that they were Elemental HERO fusion monsters. Ones that needed Avian, Burstinatrix, and an Elemental HERO monster called Sparkman to summon, to be precise.

"I'd like you to have these. They'll help you become a great duelist. And… I hope that they'll help you remember me and Atticus. And the friendship we have." Alexis said shyly.

Ben reached out and gently took the two cards, looking at them with awe. He's only ever had four Elemental HERO monsters and a single Trap card related to them. But now, with these two cards, he'll easily be able to become a greater duelist than he would have otherwise! He smiled and looked at Alexis with a grateful smile. After all, he doesn't get very many gifts these days, being what most people refer to as a 'street rat', and all. Certainly not ones as heartfelt and meaningful as the cards he just got from Alexis.

"Thank you, Alexis! I'll treasure them always!" Ben exclaimed. "And one day, when we're all grown up, I'll go to Duel Academy with you and we'll both become the greatest Duelists in all the world!"

Alexis smiled in happiness at her friend's proclamation.

"You promise?" she asked, holding out her pinky.

Ben didn't even need to think. He immediately hooked his own pinky around hers.

"Yeah. I promise."

* * *

 _ ***To Be Continued…***_

* * *

 _ **Well, that's all for this chapter. Now you know how Alexis knows Ben. As I said, I've set up a poll to decide the deck that Ben will use in this story. At least, unless I decide otherwise, but at this point, it seems unlikely.**_

 _ **Thank you guys so much for reading. Don't forget to cast your votes on the poll, and to leave a long review. May the Force be with you, and have a great day.**_


End file.
